The present invention relates generally to improvements in a gas exhaust or venting system of rooms of a dwelling, such as of a bathroom or kitchen, wherein the improvements reside in a connector interposed between the outlet of a corrugated conduit extending from the rooms and the soffit outlet opening of the venting system.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,149,516 for xe2x80x9cSoffit Vent Apparatusxe2x80x9d issued to Mantyla on Nov. 21, 2000 describes and illustrates a gas venting system from an enclosure to the external environment, i.e., from a dwelling to atmosphere, and the requirements of such a system. One requirement, among many, is the use of a corrugated conduit, the corrugations of which permit flexuring around objects or assuming bends in the flow path, and expanding and contracting in length, as circumstances dictate. The input end of the conduit is, of course, in communication with the room from which odors or stale air are being removed, and the outlet conduit end is connected to tubing extending inboard of the exhaust opening, such opening being typically located in the dwelling soffit.
The current practice, as used in the ""516 patent and all other known patents is to use a spring clamp in connecting the corrugated conduit outlet to the exhaust opening tubing. Although the exhaust opening tubing is of non-corrugated or flat metal construction material the radial force applied by the spring clamp is of no adverse effect on the tubing, but this is not the case with the corrugated construction material bounding the conduit outlet opening. Such construction material is deformed and experiences crushing under the applied radial force, and undesirable leakage thus results in the venting system.
Broadly, it is an object of the present invention to overcome the foregoing and other shortcomings of the prior art.
More particularly, it is an object to use to advantage the corrugated nature of the conduit to obviate its inadvertent detachment in the venting system, all as will be better understood as the description proceeds.